KEMAR Roofe has only been given a 50 per cent chance to be fit enough to play in Oxford United's meeting with leaders Northampton Town tomorrow night.

The U's top scorer made it 19 goals for the season at Morecambe on Saturday, but picked up a groin injury which forced him off in the 4-2 victory.

Roofe and a couple of other unnamed players are struggling with knocks from the game and head coach Michael Appleton admitted there were doubts ahead of the Cobblers clash.

He said: "We've got a couple of knocks and I think it's going to be 50/50 whether they're going to be available for tomorrow.

"We'll give them as long as we possibly can and see where they get to.

"We're not going to put the player at risk at all.

"We'll listen to the player and take advice from how he thinks it is, then make a decision early tomorrow."

Appleton stressed United would not take a gamble on Roofe's fitness, regardless of the opposition.

He said: "Absolutely not, because we have 17 games and there's a hell of a lot of points to play for.

"It 100 per cent doesn't make any difference to us, we've got other big games as well as Northampton - one's on Saturday (Accrington Stanley at home)."

He added: "I'd like to think he's intelligent enough to know it's not about one game, it's about the rest of them.

"I'm sure after a quiet conversation with him, he'll make the right decision."